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By Vic, 19 April, 2011 18:36

Now, normally I would write up this report and insert pictures in a chronolgical order but to be honest, I couldn’t say with 100% certainty, which fish came from which wreck and at which time. Plus too many pictues and not enough text make it all look a bit messy, so to keep things tidy and to stop me blathering about on about anything and everything, I’ll give a bit of an outline and put up some nice pictures. Photos are curtesy of the resident photographer for the day, Mr Terry Hill.

Following my trip out on Friday, I had the opportunity to again set out to sea on Sunday – this time, aboard a private boat, ‘Sea Mistress’ skippered out of Newhaven by WSF member Terry Hill. We met up at about 8am at Newhaven and after a bacon butty and coffee at The Captain’s Table, Terry arranged for his boat to be trailered from the boat yard, down the slipway and into the water. We set about stowing our gear aboard, while Terry fuelled her up and did other stuff. We were joined by fellow forum member, Dave and once everything was ship-shape, we set off out of the harbour.

Terry opened up Sea Mistress once we were clear of the harbour confines and headed off to some wrecks in search of cod and pollack. Like Friday, the sea was mirror calm and with no hint of a breeze to ruffle the surface, we made good time. It wasn’t too long before we were over the first wreck and Terry set up the drift.

Tactics were the same – long flowing traces with artificial lures worked close to and over the wreck. Although the water was clear, it was evident that there was already a lot of the dreaded ‘May rot’ in the water which could have an effect on the fishing. Terry was the first into a fish and nice bass was soon aboard. Expectations were high and we were buoyed up by such an early result. Unfortunately, that was the only fish on that wreck, so after a few fruitless drifts, we were off to the next mark, a few more miles out.

Fishing was slow over the next couple of wrecks but Dave managed a couple of reasonable pollack, while I seemed to be attracting large pout for my efforts.

Terry started up the engine again and we were off, this time to a wreck some sixteen miles out. Progress was good, with a steady cruising speed only interupted by the wakes of occasional passing larger vessels. First couple of drifts, I was getting small snatches at my lure but couldn’t get anything to take it fully. It wasn’t long though before I boated my first ‘proper’ fish, a small but welcome pollack.

…and then not long afterwards, Terry got the first of the target fish of the day, a tidy codling.

With renewed vigour, we continued to work the lures but to no effect, apart from more pollack for me and a beautiful little tub gurnard for Dave.

I then boated a whiting of all things – all this way out and I still get bloody whiting. At least it was of a decent size anyway.

Another wreck later and although we still weren’t getting large numbers of fish, we sort of ticked over with bits and pieces. Dave then had his first bass of the session after a short tussle.

…and he followed this up a bit later with the biggest pollack of the day at a shade under the ten pound mark.

While he was doing the pollack – so to speak, I had my first codling of the day but unfortunately didn’t get a picture of it.

We fished on for a bit and did some wrecks on our way back to port but as the tide slackened off, the fishing died with it. We decided on some ground fishing on the shoals off Beachy Head, so swapped our artificials for ragworm fished on long traces with plenty of beads and colour, in the hope of attracting a plaice or two. Alas, this wasn’t to be the case and all we managed to attract were pin whiting and pout.

So it was with an Easterly breeze picking up and chopping the surface, we headed back to port. I attempted to fillet my catch on the return but this proved a little risky, so after one fish and deciding I’d like to go home with the same amount of fingers as I had when I left, I opted to fillet the rest at home.

Back at port, we unpacked the boat and did other nautical things with ropes and pipes before collecting up our assorted bits and pieces and going our seperate ways. A big thanks again to Terry for the day out and putting us on the fish.

Here’s the stuff I didn’t get around to preparing on the boat and is awaiting the filleting knife.

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By Vic, 1 November, 2010 15:19

After being out of the game for a week or so and then one session in Hampshire, I returned to one of my usual haunts that is Seaford beach last night. Arrived at a section just east of the Beachcomber about 4 hours before before low water. Flat calm, slightly coloured sea with a slight swell, no wind and a clearing sky didn’t bode too well.

Used one rod with a size 2, two hook flapper, baited with lugworm tipped with squid which I chucked as far as possible. Before I could even turn to set up the gear, the rod started bouncing around in that tell-tale whiting fashion. I brought it in to find a whiting double shot. Unhooked and returned, I re-baited and bunged it out again. This time, I had more time and set up the other rod with a 4/0 pennel on a long link running ledger and baited with whole squid. This was cast out just beyond what breaking water there was.

For the next hour or so, it was non-stop whiting on the worm baits – all small though. There was a dead period about an hour before low before it picked up again. I swapped the flapper for a single 2/0 rig with a DVice – again baited with lug and squid.

Just after low, I had a gentle pull down and nodding on the whole squid. I lifted into the fish, there was a brief lethargic struggle and an LSD (lesser spotted dogfish) was soon on the beach. The doggie was released, the hooks filled again and cast back out. In the meantime, yet another whiting was brought in on the other rod.

There was another tug on the squid and a schoolie bass of about 12″ was soon beached. After releasing the critter, I re-baited and stuck it out just a bit further out (still only about 15 -20 yards though). Another pull down and yet another LSD was soon on the shingle.

I had a few more whiting on the worm bait before calling it a night at about 2am. I could have hung on for another couple of hours but to be honest, I saw little point and would prefer to save my back for the bigger tides next week with the prospect of saw decent wind and a change in the conditions.

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By Vic, 17 September, 2010 15:25

I had a session planned for Seaford beach last night after work, fishing down to the 1am low water and a few hours up. I popped into the Tackle Box before work to collect some lugworm and squid and listen to the ‘Tales from Eddy’. While I was there, Fishyrob turned up to collect bait and asked if I wanted to join him for a sole bash on Brighton  beach. I was sorely tempted but as my plan was to fish Seaford, all my kit was at sitting at home in the garage waiting to be loaded into the car when I got home. I didn’t really want to drive home and then turn around and go back into Brighton again. I apologetically declined Rob’s kind offer but said I might pop down there if the conditions weren’t right at Seaford. Now having read some of his recent reports, it could have been an interesting evening. Rob also managed to locate a secret stash of large launce which was buried beneath an avalanche of frozen cuttle.

Anyway, after work, I shot home and loaded my gear into the car and set off. I’d originally planned top fish the Martello but at the last minute, changed my mind and went to a spot I haven’t fished for a while – a little patch opposite West View. I was toying with the idea of live-baiting, so set up one rod with a simple size 4 two hook flapper baited with the lugworm and cast it out while I set up the bass rod. On this, I rigged a long link running ledger which would have a 5/0 pennel rig baited with squid or launce. On standby, I had a made up live baiting trace with a single 5/0 on one end and a snap swivel on the other. The idea being that when wanted to live-bait, I could retrieve, unclip the pennel and cast out the weight only, before clipping the trace and bait onto the main line and letting it slide out into the water.

It wasn’t long before I had enough small whiting and pout in the bucket to last the time I would be there. I swapped the flapper for a sliding live-bait rig as above and sent the first of the pout out into the oggin to do its work. I continued to use the squid and launce on the bass rod.

It wasn’t until about half an hour after the 1am low water that I had the one and only take of the night and that was on the bass rod, falling to whole squid. I started as a whiting-like rattle and then a dramatic pull down and line peeling off the reel. I lifted into the fish which then came inshore before hanging in the breakers. A short while later, a nice bass was on the beach. It had taken the bottom hook right down and the top hook was caught up in the gills causing massive bleeding. There was no way of removing both hooks without causing untold damage, so it was quickly dispatched and put to one side while I clipped on a new trace, baited it up with a new squid and sent it out.

The fish measured in at 62cm and just under the 6lbs mark. I would normally take a picture on the beach but the camera refused to co-operate (turns out the card wasn’t seated correctly) so the kitchen picture is the only one I have of it.

The rest of the session was dead, no interest at all on the live-baits and none on the remainder of the squid and launce. Packed up at about 3.30 after cleaning and scaling the fish – the gut was absolutely empty, not even the usual small crabs etc.

Part of it was eaten at lunch time today, gently fried off with ginger, soy and spring onions…… drool. I’m sure Anna will be updating her recipes pretty soon.

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By Vic, 12 September, 2010 19:49

It was off to Seaford beach again last night, this time in company with some time fishing pal, Phil. We arranged to meet at Edinburgh Road at about 8pm to fish from low water up to an probably over high water. I got there a bit early, so wandered over to have a quick look. Conditions looked good with a fair bit of movement in the water being agitated by a brisk Westerly breeze. The forecast said the wind would die down at about 10pm, so we had to make the most of it.

I kitted up and set up at a spot just East of the parking area. Bass was the main quarry  of the night but, as usual, I can’t resist having another scratching rod out. Bass rod was a running ledger ending in a 5/0 pennel which would be baited with whole squid. Although conditions at the same weren’t suitable for live-baiting, the rig had provision for this should the conditions change later. The scratcher had a size 4 two hook flapper baited with lugworm.

By the time Phil arrived, after his ahemm… detour, both my rigs were in the water. From the off, it was obvious that whiting were going to be a pest for the whole night. Although not there in the numbers they were on my last visits, they were still there in their thousands. They hit the worm baits quickly and had a go at the big baits close in too. Didn’t matter how far or in what the direction you cast, the robbing barstwards had the bait every time.

Apart from a small ray caught by Phil and the odd pout, it was whiting all night with not a sniff from anything else. Gluttons for punishment, we stuck it out and tried all sorts but the main target was not going co-operate with us on this. Phil stuck it out just after high water at about 2.30 and and I, like the fool that I am, stayed for another hour before saying bollocks to it and packing up.

So, another disappointing night on Costa Del Seaford.  I am thinking about going somewhere different next time, maybe. So if you see a strange bloke wandering around your neck of the woods carrying rods and far too much kit, mumbling that he’s frightened and lost, take pity on him and either show him where the fish are or point him in the direction of Seaford and give him a bloody hard push.

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By Vic, 10 September, 2010 10:52

I wish I’d gone to Edinburgh Road at Seaford beach but didn’t and went to the Martello (also known as the canon) instead in search of bass and maybe a lucky  codling. Arrived on the beach by about 9.30 having shot home first after work to load up the car (should have done it before I went to work). Sea was lumpy with a fresh Westerly breeze helping to push some largish waves up the beach. The plan was to fish up to the 1.30am high water and down and hour or so.

The bass rod was set up with a running ledger and 5/0 pennel baited with squid but with the option of live baiting. This was done by just adding a free running swivel above a bead which was above the weight. A hook length with a 5/0 on one end and a snap swivel on the other was made ready. If a suitable live bait was caught, the procedure would be to retrieve the squid and unclip the hook length, cast the weight out, let it settle and then clip the snap swivel onto the main line, stick the live bait on the 5/0 and let it slide out into the water.

A scratching rod was set up with a two hook flapper – one size 1/0 hook and one size 4, both baited with lugworm and sent out beyond the waves which were crashing up the beach. It wasn’t long before the scratching rod was bouncing around and two whiting were brought in – too big for a bait and too small for table, so back they went. This was pretty much the theme for the next hour or so and while I was busy with the whiting, the squid was busy doing absolutely nothing just sitting out there being ignored.

By about 11.30, the breeze died right down until there was nothing. The sea started to flatten out, leaving just the swell running the occasional larger wave up the beach. This was just what the doctor ordered, as the next two fish were an ideal sized pout and whiting.  The pout was sent out on the slider reasonably close in just outside the main waves. While the whiting stayed in the bucket (with water in it, I might add), I quickly rigged up a DVice on a running ledger, stuck the whiting in it with a 5/0 and chucked it out at distance.

The incoming tide had pushed me back up the beach to an area where there was loads of washed up and rotting seaweed (nice) which was covered in clouds of small flies. They were annoying enough anyway but each time I used my headlight, it was like being in a bloody sand blasting booth! They were an absolute bloody nightmare, ended up moving my gear further back up the beach and out of the way.

I then sat back, smugly, drinking coffee and thinking I was in with a chance. This was not to be the case, as although I imagine the baits were having a lovely swim around, they remained untouched. Once the tell tale signs of movement ceased, it was time to bring them in – both expired. Ah well, back to the squid and the worm it is then.

The squid remained apparently unattractive, while the worm worms did well with more whiting, until the rig was trashed by a ‘snotty’ eel which managed to turn my nicely made rig into a tight ball of line and snot that was only good for being cut up and the components retrieved. The eel was successfully removed from its own mess and sent back to where it came from. A new rig was clipped on, baited and re-cast.

Another bite, another ‘snotty’ and another wrecked rig. Yet another rig clipped on, baited and re-cast. A few more whiting and then a bass, yeah, a bass only trouble it was, it probably weighed less than the lead I was using. That was it then, high water came and went and no more fish brought in, it just died completely.

I stuck it out until about 3am before calling it a night. It really was quite a disappointment, I had had high hopes of a reasonable fish but I guess that’s fishing for you – sometimes you strike gold and some times you don’t.